Lin Meilin’s heart was still unsettled after the awkward encounter in the hallway. She couldn’t get the image out of her mind—the muffled moans, Ruiyan’s sharp eyes catching her on her knees, and that girl hurriedly fixing her dress behind him.

If not for the maid rushing in to apologize and explain that she had lost her way, Meilin wasn’t sure what kind of trouble she would have fallen into.

Now, back at her seat in the garden banquet, she suddenly felt angry. Why didn't she talk back? What right did he have to look down on her like that?. She let out a breath and tried to calm herself. Her mother was nowhere in sight, still mingling with the other guests, and the laughter and clinking glasses around her only made her feel more out of place.

She poured herself some wine, but her hands trembled slightly as she lifted the glass. So this is the famous Lu Ruiyan, she thought bitterly. Hua City’s golden heir, pampered son of the Lu family—yet clearly a disgusting playboy. Meilin hated these kind of people the most.

Meilin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. Just then, movement nearby caught her eye. Across the courtyard, Lu Ruiyan walked in with his usual languid grace, every step carrying an effortless arrogance. Even among the other elites, he stood out—dark eyes, sharp jawline, and the way the lights glimmered off the gold chain around his neck. No wonder the city’s girls went wild for him.

He joined a table where three young men sat. Meilin recognized one of them immediately—Wen Zixuan, an up-and-coming singer who went by his stage name Faceless. Another leaned back puffing a cigarette lazily, while the third scrolled his phone. Ruiyan barely spoke to them, his presence commanding without needing words.

Meilin quickly looked away, determined not to let him notice her again. She took another sip of her drink, trying to appear calm.

But peace didn’t last long. A boy, probably in his early twenties, suddenly slipped into the chair beside her. His hair was slicked back, and he wore a high-end luxury clothing but Meilin didn't care.

“Hi,” he said with an easy grin, his eyes scanning her face with way too much interest.

Meilin’s lips tightened. “Hello,” she replied curtly.

“What’s up?” he pressed, leaning closer.

She arched a brow. “Do I look like someone with a problem?”

The boy laughed, clearly unfazed. “Wow, feisty. I’m Zhang Wei. And you are?” He stretched out his hand for a handshake.

Meilin looked at it like it was a dirty napkin. “I don’t think my name concerns you.”

Zhang Wei chuckled again, lowering his hand. “Alright, alright. I’ll just call you pretty then. You’re really hot, you know. Can we be friends?”

Meilin rolled her eyes and turned her head, ignoring him. Her attention flickered toward the far side of the banquet where she spotted her mother finally returning, walking alongside Ruiyan's mom.

At that moment, Becky stopped at her son’s table, bending to murmur something to Ruiyan, her palm brushing through his hair tenderly as if he were still a boy. Ruiyan let her go through it,it was evident the kind of love ge had for his mom . But still Meilin felt a twist of disdain in her chest. The rumors were true—Lu Becky doted on her son to the point of blindness.

“Hey, pretty..” Zhang Wei started again, but Matilda arrived at the table just then.

“Mom,” Meilin exhaled in relief.

Matilda’s gaze flicked to Zhang Wei, her face instantly hardening. “And who are you?”Zhang Wei paled. “Uh… no one, ma’am.” He scrambled up and hurried away without another word.

Matilda’s glare followed him until he disappeared, then she turned back to her daughter. “Come with me, Meilin. Let’s go greet Ruiyan.”

Meilin nearly choked on her drink. “What?”

But Matilda was already walking ahead, not sparing her daughter’s panic a glance. With no choice, Meilin grabbed her bag and hurried after her, her stomach twisting with dread.

They reached Ruiyan just as he leaned back from his friends’ table. His gaze met Meilin’s immediately,cold, dark, unreadable.

“Good evening, Ruiyan,” Matilda said warmly.

“Good evening, Aunt Matilda,” he replied politely, though his eyes barely left Meilin.

“Ruiyan, this is my daughter, Lin Meilin. Meilin, this is Lu Ruiyan.”

Meilin’s throat went dry. They had already “met,” though not in a way she could ever explain here.

“We’ve met before,” Ruiyan said flatly, hands slipping into his trouser pockets.

Matilda blinked. “Really? You’ve met?”

“In an inconvenient place,” Ruiyan added with a faint scoff. His lips curved almost mockingly, and Meilin’s cheeks burned.

Before Matilda could press further, Ruiyan’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then stood. “Excuse me.” Without waiting for an answer, he strode away.

Lu Becky’s face tightened in embarrassment as she turned back. “Please don’t mind him, Meilin. You know how boys can be sometimes.”

Meilin forced a polite smile, but inside her chest, her heart raced wildly.

Later, on the drive home, Matilda asked, “So, you really met him before?”

Meilin turned her face to the window. “Yes. On my way back from the restroom.”

Matilda nearly swerved. “The restroom?”

“It was just an accident,” Meilin said with a roll of her eyes. “I was pressed, and he was there too. My phone slipped, and he asked if I was blind.” For some reason she didn't want to say the entire truth, plus why did it matter?

Matilda scoffed in disbelief. “That boy…”

She didn’t say more, and the rest of the ride was silent.

Back home, Meilin ate quietly, showered, and curled up in bed, but no matter how hard she tried, the memory of Lu Ruiyan’s dark eyes and all the things she wanted to talk back at him instead of standing there like a fool.

“Sigh”